The largest terrestrial animal. List of the largest animals in the world

We all know well that the largest animals, or giant animals, lived on our Earth millions of years ago - these are various dinosaurs, mammoths, terrible birds and many, many other prehistoric animals. Their gigantic size and appearance seem stunning to us today.

But even today our world is full of the most amazing creatures that amaze with their shapes and sizes. It’s even hard to imagine what could have affected their height and weight, but they are who they are, the main thing is that they feel quite comfortable among us. What kind of animals are these, and in what natural conditions do they live? We’ll talk about this today. The rating is based on the weight, height and also length of the animals.

1 place. Blue or blue whale

The largest living animal on Earth is the blue or blue whale (lat. Balaenoptera musculus). Even dinosaurs cannot compete with him - his size is impressive. This marine mammal grows up to 30 meters in length, can weigh more than 180 tons, even the tongue of this giant weighs about 2.7 tons (the size of a medium-sized Asian elephant). The blue whale's heart weighs about 600 kilograms - it is the largest heart in the world.

The huge lungs of the blue whale (the volume of which is 3 thousand liters) allow it to remain at a depth without oxygen for about 20 minutes. The maximum speed developed by this mammal is about 35 km/h, and the fountain it produces when reaching the surface is up to 10 m.

2nd place. Sperm whale

The next representative is (lat. Physeter catodon) is the only representative of the sperm whale family today. It is the largest among toothed whales. The male sperm whale grows up to 20 m in length, and weighs up to 50 tons. Females are less impressive in size - from 11 to 13 m, and weigh about 15 tons.

Interestingly, the head of an adult makes up approximately 35% of the total body length. There are sperm whales of larger sizes, but this is rather the exception. In nature, sperm whales have practically no enemies. The exception is killer whales, which attack females and calves; they cannot compete with an adult male.

3rd place. African elephant

African elephant (lat. Loxodonta africana) is the largest land animal living on earth. Includes two types - and. It occupies an honorable third place in this ranking. With a height of 3 to 3.5 meters and a body length of 6-7.5 m, the mass of these animals can reach up to 6, or even 12 tons. Female African elephants are smaller than males: they grow up to 2.7 meters in height and 5.4-6.9 m in length.

Despite its impressive size, it can move at a speed of 35-40 km/h (it can easily overtake a person). He can eat 300 kg of plant food per day. Due to its enormous mass, it sleeps standing up. A very smart animal that is capable of mutual assistance and compassion. But, despite this, it is one of the most dangerous animals on the planet.

4th place. Indian elephant

Indian or Asian elephant (lat. Elephas maximum) is the second largest land animal after the African elephant. The height can reach 2.5-3.5 m, the length of its body is about 5.5-6 m, and this elephant’s tail is not short - 1-1.5 m. This elephant can weigh from 5 to 5.5 tons . Females, just like African elephants, are much smaller.

These elephants are forest dwellers. They prefer light tropical and subtropical broad-leaved forests with dense undergrowth, which consists of shrubs and bamboo. They move easily through dense forests and swampy areas. They live in groups led by the oldest and most experienced female.

5th place. Southern elephant seal

Southern elephant seal (lat. Mirounga leonina) – considered the largest pinniped in the world. These large and corpulent animals can grow up to 6 m in length and weigh up to 4-5 tons.

They can stay under water for about 2 hours (an officially registered record), and dive to a depth of more than 1300 meters. They spend their entire lives in the ocean, and rarely come to land - mainly during the breeding season.

6th place. Hippopotamus or hippopotamus

Hippopotamus (lat. Hippopotamus amphibius) is a mammal from the order Artiodactyla and the suborder Porciniformes. Native to Africa.

Hippos can reach up to 1.5-1.65 meters, their body length can be from 3 to 5 meters, and their weight can be 3 tons or more. These animals increase their mass throughout their lives, their teeth also grow throughout their lives and can reach 0.5 m in length. Interestingly, the skin alone weighs 0.5 tons.

7th place. White rhinoceros

White rhinoceros (lat. Ceratotherium simum) – the 2nd largest herbivore on the planet. Adults grow in height - up to 1.6-2 m, in length - about 3.8-4.2 m.

The average weight of a white rhinoceros is about 3 tons; there are individuals much larger - about 8 tons. Interestingly, the white rhinoceros is not white at all, but rather gray. It probably received this name from a distorted Boer word “wijde”, which means “wide-faced” - consonant with the English word “white” (Russian white).

8th place. Walrus

Walruses (lat. Odobenus rosmarus) is one of the ancient large animals that have existed since the last ice age. Fossils found in San Francisco Bay date back approximately 28,000 years.

And even now these giants grow up to 3 m in length and weigh up to 2 tons, the thickness of the skin (on the neck and shoulders of males) is up to 10 cm, and the layer of fat is up to 15 cm. Large ones are perfectly adapted for life in the harsh conditions of the Arctic. They feed mainly on shellfish, but can also eat fish.

9th place. Black rhinoceros

Black rhinoceros (lat. Rhinoceros bicornis) – slightly finer than white. The weight of this animal does not exceed 1.5-2 tons, the body length is about 3-3.5 meters, the height at the shoulders is 1.5-1.6 m. Their habit of moving along the same paths and poor eyesight makes them vulnerable and defenseless against poachers.

The black rhinoceros has no natural enemies, so it is not at all timid and because of this it automatically becomes an easy trophy for hunters. Interestingly, the body of the black rhinoceros is more elongated in length and it is lighter than the white one.

10th place. Saltwater crocodile

Saltwater, or saltwater crocodile (lat. Crocodylus porosus) is the largest and most massive reptile on the planet. The saltwater crocodile can grow up to 5.5-7 meters (usually 5 m) in length, the weight of an adult (male) is from 409 kg to 1.5 tons.

Interesting fact: it has a high commercial value because of its skin, from which various types of clothing, shoes, etc. are made. It is hunted and bred on crocodile farms.

Modern species of animals are absolutely not inferior in size to prehistoric animals, but if people do not treat wild nature with due respect, then they will all become extinct just like those that lived millions of years ago.

Instructions

Several animals claimed the title of the tallest animal in the world, but scientists gave the first one to the giraffe. An adult male weighs about 2 tons, while females are twice as light. It is curious that 250 kg of this weight falls on the giraffe’s neck, and about 10 kg on its heart muscle. The tallest animal in the world lives in Central and Southern Africa. In appearance, these creatures look very disproportionate: the legs are thin and long, the chest is narrow, the neck is quite long and is crowned with a small head with exorbitantly huge ears. A giraffe has small horns on its head. It is curious that the giraffe’s neck, which reaches a length of 2.5 m, has the same number of vertebrae as the neck of other mammals, i.e. seven.

Interestingly, due to its long neck, it has the highest blood pressure of any living creature on Earth. If you compare the blood pressure of a giraffe and a healthy person, the former will have approximately three times higher blood pressure! Such unique anatomical features of the giraffe require certain efforts from its heart muscle. As mentioned above, the heart of the tallest animal in the world weighs about 10 kg and is capable of pumping blood to the brain, located at a distance of 3.5 m from the heart! In addition, the unique arrangement of the arteries in the giraffe saves it from serious problems that could occur at a watering hole when the animal tilts its head down.

It is curious that the bright skin of the tallest animal in the world has been the basis for the most incredible legends and stories since time immemorial. For example, the ancient Egyptians and Romans believed that giraffes are the offspring of leopards and camels. Returning to the appearance of the giraffe, it should be noted that it is only unprepossessing in appearance, but in fact it is a rather graceful equid! Moreover, giraffes have perfectly adapted to life in the driest African regions. Their long front legs and unique neck allow them to feed on leaves from the tops of acacia trees during droughts.

Other advantages of the tallest animal on Earth include sensitive hearing and excellent hearing. The giraffe is able to notice potential enemies from a fairly large distance, and the hind limbs allow the animal to take off at lightning speed. The tallest animal in the world runs fast - at a speed of 60 km/h. By the way, those with the highest height sleep very little and mostly while standing. It is worth noting that some individuals still try to lie on the ground. At the same time, they place their head on their hind leg, bending their long neck in an arc.

The fauna of planet Earth still never ceases to amaze us! Our planet is inhabited by a huge number of different animals, and it would seem that all species have long been discovered and known, but sometimes, even among the most ordinary animals, there are unique representatives! It is these representatives that we will consider below.

The largest rabbit

A 22-kilogram rabbit named "Darry" entered the record books as the largest. No wonder, because his height is 130 centimeters!

Blue Great Dane

And this giant Great Dane was also recorded in the Book of Records as the largest dog on the planet! 7 years ago, this dog was 1.10 meters tall, and this giant weighed about 110 kilograms. The specialists who took the measurements were shocked by the size of the dog!

Largest grasshopper

The scientific name of such a large grasshopper is Veta. It reaches a length of just under 20 centimeters. Usually such creatures live in New Zealand. And such a mutant weighs as much as several mice (about 50 grams).

Palm thief (coconut crab)

The terrifying appearance of this monster is unlikely to make you smile when you meet it. The coconut crab is not a crab at all, it was so named because of its external resemblance, but in fact the palm thief is an ordinary hermit crab that has 10 limbs. Their length is almost 100 centimeters, they are the largest arthropods in the world! The most amazing thing is that such mutants can live for half a century, or even longer. Palm thieves live on the Pacific Islands.

Tallest cow

At the moment, the tallest cow on the planet is 13 years old and weighs just over 900 kilograms. The owners named the huge creature “Bloss”, and the veterinarian said that he had never seen such a huge but calm cow. As it became known, last year the Guinness Book of Records recognized this cow as the tallest in the world, because its height is almost 195 centimeters!

The largest donkey on Earth

The name of the giant beast is Romulus. This breed was specially bred in America. At the moment, the donkey lives in America on the ranch of his owners. Kara and Phil Yelot are very proud of their ward. The donkey weighs 600 kilograms and is 172 centimeters tall!

The largest liger on Earth

The largest cat in the world has been registered - the Liger - a hybrid of a lion and a tigress. Up to this point, there have been a huge number of different records about the largest cats. So, in 1973 the record holder was Liger, who weighed almost 800 kilograms. His place of residence was the Bloemfontein Zoological Gardens in Africa. It is also known about a hybrid of a lion and a tiger, which lived in a reserve called Valley of the Kings animal sanctuary, located in America. It is known that the liger weighed just over half a ton.

The largest reptile in the world is the saltwater crocodile

The weight of an adult male individual was 1075 kilograms, the length of the crocodile exceeded 6 meters. Because of its size, locals nicknamed it Lolong. As it turned out, the residents decided to catch the predator because it ate two people. It took hunters and ordinary people almost 3 weeks to catch this giant monster.

flying fox

This species is called the Bismarck's flying fox. The home of this huge winged creature is New Guinea. This animal can weigh up to one and a half kilograms.

The biggest spider

The Goliath tarantula spider is recognized as the largest in the world, its paw span was 28 cm, it was found in Venezuela back in 1965.

The biggest sunfish

Some types of fish make you not only be horrified, but also smile. Take a look at this giant representative of the underwater world. Its weight can be more than two tons, and its dimensions are simply amazing. Vertically, this “baby” grows up to 400 centimeters, and vertically - up to 350 centimeters.

Largest mammal

Among mammals, the blue whale is recognized as the largest. Its length can reach up to 30 meters, and its weight can reach up to 180 tons; the tongue of this animal alone weighs 2.7 tons, and the heart weighs about 600 kilograms.

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When hearing the word “giant,” most people imagine either huge diplodocus or a mammoth from the Ice Age. Another option is not excluded - eucalyptus and baobab trees. However, there are still many creatures whose size may pleasantly (and not so pleasantly) surprise you. Oddly enough, huge living organisms exist not only in fairy tales and the prehistoric past, but also share the planet with us right now! Here's a list of notable animals, from dog-sized rabbits to human-sized crabs. Feel tiny with the largest inhabitants of the world!

Female hippopotamus during evening rest

Looking at these funny creatures (which, by the way, are one of the most aggressive mammals in the world: more people suffer from them than from crocodiles and sharks), it is difficult to believe that their closest relatives are sea whales. Although they have come to land, hippos are still completely devoted to the aquatic environment, as evidenced by the etymology of their Greek name - “river horse”.

Male gorilla at rest

This gorilla species is on the verge of extinction. The humanly intelligent primate lives only in a small area of ​​Africa, where deforestation and poaching have made life a struggle for survival. The eastern gorilla is the largest member of the great ape species.

The largest breed of rabbit is the Flanders

Domestic Flanders rabbit and collie

The size of an average dog, this breed of game rabbit can impress foodies and furry lovers alike. The largest rabbit was first bred in the Middle Ages near the Belgian city of Ghent.

Octopus in an early 19th century engraving

Only recently has it been possible to prove the existence of giant squids, since they rarely appear on the surface. Many oceanologists are confident that the legendary Kraken is a representative of this subspecies of cephalopods. Until the end of the 20th century, the only evidence of its existence were plate-sized sucker marks on the bodies of sperm whales. However, in 2004, Japanese researchers managed to photograph a living giant squid in its habitat.

"Flying" stingray in shallow water

This majestic stingray, nicknamed the “sea devil,” can have a “wingspan” of up to eight meters. Moreover, the manta ray can easily jump several meters out of the water. Unfortunately, this beautiful sight can only be observed on the open sea and only during the breeding season.

Old white shark on the hunt

This sea monster is the largest and most aggressive fish alive today (good thing megalodons are extinct). Moreover, it has no natural enemies other than killer whales and people.

Capybara is a peaceful rodent animal

Rodent takes sunbaths

This cute creature feels comfortable at home and is increasingly becoming a pet. The capybara is the largest rodent. They live in families or even groups in South America.

Anaconda during the hunt

This snake is the largest in the world and even has its own horror movie franchise. Large individuals can reach eight meters in length. Some types of pythons can surpass the anaconda in size, but do not surpass it in thickness.

The head and structure of the front part of the body of the perch

As the name suggests, this perch lives in the Nile River and is the largest freshwater fish. Its length can reach the height of an adult. Its other name is “water elephant”.

The trace left by the movement of such a carcass is the best signal to turn back

This species of reptile is the largest living one. The saltwater crocodile can be found in the Indian Ocean off the coast. This monster is known for its aggressiveness, so if you see two rows of teeth swimming towards you, you better run away.

Flying fox on vacation

Unfortunately, this large bat is on the verge of extinction due to the fact that its habitats in the Philippines are being deforested and polluted. Acerodon is peaceful and feeds exclusively on fruits.

Komodo dragon digests lunch

These legendary "dragons" are the largest lizards in the world. They are known for their gluttony: in one meal they can eat almost as much as their own weight. However, there is also a downside to their appetite: the metabolism of monitor lizards is so slow that the monitor lizard only needs to eat once a month.

Cassowary comb is considered an aphrodisiac

These are the largest birds outside of Africa. Despite their peaceful disposition, cassowaries can attack people during the current period or if the bird feels a threat to its offspring.

Killer whale chasing a fur seal

In fact, killer whales are not whales. They are the largest representatives of the dolphin family. They have high intelligence and live in large families.

Female sperm whale with calf

These huge whales are the largest predators on the planet. In addition, sperm whales have the largest brain. However, this does not save them from whalers.

Crab at Tokyo Aquarium

A true champion among arthropods. This type of crab lives off the coast of Japan. It is known for its size (can weigh up to 20 kg), taste (gourmets around the world line up for its phalanges) and longevity (there are individuals that live for a century).

Female elephant scaring off intruders

It’s scary to imagine, but these mammals can weigh up to 5 tons. And given their aggressiveness and size, elephant seals can easily be called the largest carnivores on land (although they hunt marine life, fortunately for us).

Pelican before flying for fish

This pelican species is the largest flying bird. Lives on the territory of the Eurasian continent.

Emu during mating season

The comical, but dangerous and aggressive bird is known to be the largest in the world. It can accelerate to 70 km/h, which allows ostriches to win in two categories: the fastest two-legged creature and the fastest flightless bird.

Giraffe in a US zoo

Everyone is well aware of these amazing and cute creatures. Despite its good nature, the giraffe can run fast and fight back even lions. This mammal is the tallest of land animals.

Huge fish at the New Mexico Aquarium

This inhabitant of the oceans is the largest representative of bony fish (those that do not have cartilage, but full-fledged bones).

Salamander in Beijing Zoo

The Chinese have put the fate of this species of lizard at risk of extinction, as they value its meat for its taste and use its internal organs in traditional medicine.

A bear looks for food in the polar winter

Despite their apparent “plushness,” polar bears are strong and vicious predators that can tear apart a person in a matter of seconds. They say that there is no escape from him except shameful flight.

Male scaring off trespassers

The largest land creature. Representatives of this species have no enemies who could attack it with impunity (except for people who destroy elephants on an industrial scale). Its weight can reach 12 tons.

Young whale playing with a school of fish

Perhaps, over time, new species of living beings will acquire monstrous proportions. And among those living today there may be unknown giants, which we will definitely learn about.

The largest animals on earth are record-breaking animals that have reached the maximum parameters among their species in terms of mass, height or length. In this list you will find the names of the largest animals and learn a lot of interesting things about the largest animals on earth.

10. Capybara

Capybara (other name: capybara) is the largest representative of the Rodent order. The word capybara in the Indian language means “lord of the grass.” An adult capybara reaches a length of up to 135 cm, with a height at the withers of up to 60 cm. A capybara weighs up to 65 kg, females are larger than males.

9. Tiger

The tiger is the largest predator of the cat family. The largest tigers are the Bengal and Amur tigers. These big cats can reach up to 3 meters in length, excluding the length of the tail. The weight of a tiger can reach up to 300 kg. The height at the withers is up to 115 cm.

Weight records are known for these tiger species. The Bengal tiger's maximum weight was 388 kg, and the Amur tiger's maximum weight was 384 kg. The word tiger means "sharp" and "fast".

8. Polar bear

The polar bear (other names: polar bear, northern bear, umka) is a large predator from the Bear family. The only one of the largest land predators on the planet that is prone to tracking and hunting humans, considering them as equal prey. A polar bear can reach a body length of 3 meters and weigh 1 ton. Height at the withers is up to 150 cm. Females are smaller than males.

7. Big red kangaroo

The big red kangaroo (another name: the giant red kangaroo) is the largest kangaroo. Adult males reach a length of 1.5 meters and a body weight of 85 kg. The length of the tail is about 1 meter. Sometimes the height of especially large males is up to 2 meters. Females are smaller than males.

6. Gorilla

Gorillas are a genus of the largest apes, representatives of the order Primates. In adult males, the height can reach up to 2 meters, and the shoulder width can be 1 meter. The weight of males reaches 250 kg or more. Females are almost 2 times smaller than males.

5. Giraffe

The giraffe is a mammal from the order Artiodactyls, which is the tallest animal on the planet. The length of the neck of these animals is 1/3 of the length of the entire body. The male grows up to 6 meters in height and weighs about 1000 kg. Females are slightly smaller than males in size.

4. Hippopotamus

The common hippopotamus, or hippopotamus, is a large land mammal from the order Artiodactyls. A weight of 3 tons is not uncommon for this animal, because its weight can reach 4.5 tons. The height of the hippopotamus is up to 165 cm. The body length of an adult usually reaches 3 meters, but can reach up to 5 meters.

3. White rhinoceros

The white rhinoceros is a huge mammal, a member of the Rhinoceros family. Old males reach a body weight of 5 tons. Rhinoceroses usually weigh 2-2.5 tons. Their body length is 4 meters and height is 2 meters.

2. Savannah elephant

The savannah elephant is an animal from the African elephant genus. The savannah elephant is the largest animal and the largest land mammal. The body length of these elephants reaches 7 meters, and the height is 3.5 meters. The average body weight of a word is 7 tons, but can reach up to 12 tons. Males are slightly larger than females.

1. Blue whale

The blue whale, or blue whale, is the largest animal on Earth in terms of mass and length that has ever lived. The blue whale is also the largest whale of all Cetaceans and the largest mammal.

The size of the blue whale is quite impressive. It’s not for nothing that the blue whale is currently the largest animal on Earth. These giants reach a length of 30 meters and weigh more than 150 tons. And despite its size, the blue whale easily turns over on its back, as you can see in the photo below.

Females are slightly larger than males. The largest female blue whale was 33 meters long and weighed 190 tons, and the largest male weighed 180 tons and had a body length of 31 meters.

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